The Seaweed Mask.

Posted on November 17, 2012

We all know that seaweed is really good for your skin and has tons of various nutrients. It is widely used in professional skin care and “luxurious” creams that cost a fortune.

My friend, who studied cosmetology in France, once told me that the most beneficial natural element used in skin care products is seaweed. She also mentioned that most of the companies get seaweed from same sources and the prices of their products depend on the amount of seaweed they use in their creams and the brand.

Since seaweed used in pricy cosmetics is the same stuff used to make sushi, which is kelp and laver, why not just buy dried or, if possible, fresh unsalted seaweedand make your own revitalizing facial mask?

One more thing about products (creams, mask etc.) that contain seaweed – in my personal opinion they don’t put enough! If the mask is marketed as a “seaweed mask” why the content of the mask contains 100 other ingredients and the “seaweed extract” name appears at the end of the ingredient list (meaning that the amount of “seaweed extract” is low in comparison with other ingredients).

For this particular mask I am going to use the Japanese Aonori dried seaweed, or the Green Laver.

Laver contains rich minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium, lithium, vitamins, and amino acids such as methionine. Also, its vitamin B-group content is generally higher than most vegetables.

Seaweed benefits:

– Revitalizes and firms the skin.

– Oxygenates and detoxifies the skin.

– Has a balancing and purifying effect.

– Generates cells and re-mineralizes the skin.

– Improves skin tone and texture.

For this mask you will need:

Dried Aonori (Laver) seaweed. I used 2 types. (You can actually buy powdered Aonori, which is easier to mix with water, but I couldn’t find it.) And Arrowroot Starch also known as Kudzu Flour, just to make the seaweed and water mixture more creamy (You can use any other starch.)

1. Mix the seaweed and water. You can also blend this mixture in a blender until it becomes one smooth mass. Unfortunately, I have a shitty blender so I wasn’t able to do so.

2. Mix the Arrowroot Starch with water until it gets sticky.

3. Pour the starch into the seaweed mixture. Mix it.

4. Apply it to your face and wait for at least 20 minutes. It can get a bit messy so I advise you to lie down and use a towel under your head to avoid the smelly seaweed ruining your pillows.